MOLIK: “There’s probably one more potential new Slam winner that can win the US Open this year, and that’s Jess Pegula. If she’s gonna have a year, it’s this year… I think having won a title so close to the US Open, I think she’s a definite chance. But I think you’ve got to go Gauff, you have to throw Sabalenka in there, of course Swiatek is up there as well. Rybakina maybe hasn’t been playing as well as I would have expected, but I think they’re probably the bulk of the names. You could have Collins having a run.”

HUNTER: “I would probably at the moment have to go with Pegula and Sabalenka, just based on their current form. Sabalenka was coming back off an injury but beat Swiatek and Pegula and played very well in Cincinnati, and obviously got more of that match-fitness back. And then Pegula, to win Toronto and then go final (in Cincinnati), unbelievable effort. I think in the past, she hasn’t performed as well as she could in Slams, or what she’s expected to, but I don’t think she’s playing doubles… I think if she’s just focused on the singles she can freshen up and I think that will be really good for her.”

FIVE IN FOCUS: Osaka, Alcaraz, Pegula, Tiafoe, Andreescu

REA: “Talk about generating momentum and being in New York with a full head of steam up, I think that’s Jessica Pegula. I know she’s never been to the real pointy end of some of these Slams, but I think she’s coming in playing the brand of tennis and attacking the contest and her opponent in a manner that suggests she’s determined to have the match on her racquet. I think the fact she’s been prepared to go out on a limb in 2024, she’s made some changes to her coaching team… she’s looking to explore even new territory again beyond what has been an incredibly successful career to date.”

How might world No.1 Swiatek fare, chasing her first Grand Slam title off clay in two years?

STOSUR: “I honestly think the conditions are good for her here; she’ll be able to get a lot of bounce off her forehand, use the court a lot. Yes, it’s quicker than Roland Garros, but it’s pretty lively, it’s bouncy, her spin’s gonna jump. I may not put her as the favourite, but she’s No.1 in the world, she’s not easy to beat, very few times does she kind of give away a match. Someone like Sabalenka has that firepower and weapons to do so, as does Rybakina, but she hasn’t shown she has the form or necessarily the staying power at the moment to beat her. Multiple Grand Slam champion that Swiatek is, and playing (Cincinnati) semis last week, bronze in Paris – yes, I think she has a shot for the title.”

WOODBRIDGE: “I worry a little bit for Iga when she starts talking about how she’s tired, we need to look at schedules, and things like that, because usually the No.1 player in the world has the best schedule of anybody that can play. They don’t play as much in terms of other events to keep their ranking there. They win the matches they need to. But that’s also an indicator to me that she’s tired … you can’t under-estimate the energy that’s burned going into the Olympics, the village. She’s famous, everyone knows her. She didn’t quite get what she was after… there’s these highs and lows throughout the year and you’ve got to find a way to keep the fuel tank full. And I think she’s come off of that. So it would be a mighty effort, I think, if she was to win the US Open this year.”

MOLIK: “It’s just interesting listening to Iga’s comments leading in. I don’t know if she is, but she sounds exhausted, talking about the tour and how long it is … (comments like this from players) sort of paints a bit of a picture where they are at mentally, or how they’re feeling. It didn’t sound like she was bouncing around, really eager to start the US Open. When you talk about the speed of the courts, if she’s playing later in the day, or at night, it probably suits her even more, slowing down the court and the balls. She’s always there or thereabouts, but you have big hitters, huge servers who can just make Iga less dominant.”

HUNTER: “She definitely has the ability to win, but I do feel like she isn’t in form. I know that sounds really bad, because she has obviously been so dominant. People seeing Sabalenka beating her, and her even just talking – because people also watch press conferences and hear it – about how gruelling the season is, I feel like she’s almost maybe a bit tired, a little bit kind of going through the motions. And I think players are kind of like, oh, maybe I do have a chance? Whereas on clay, she’s so dominant, you’re almost like you don’t even believe you can win. I definitely think obviously she’s an amazing player who is definitely still a favourite, but it’s not surprising if she doesn’t win, if that makes sense.”

REA: “She’s set such a high bar, not just for success but of dominance, that any type of vulnerability or any type of loss at any event becomes a headline item… I think the first week becomes a big challenge for Iga. If she’s able to navigate her way through the first week with minimal damage done, petrol left in the tank, generating momentum, feeling good about her game and the conditions, she could win the event. Similarly I think she could be vulnerable to being picked off by someone in the third or fourth round, potentially.”

Who will win the US Open men’s and women’s singles titles?

STOSUR: “I’m gonna go with Sabalenka for the women’s side. And the men’s, gee, I don’t know. Sinner, Alcaraz, Djokovic… Medvedev hasn’t been in great form, but he’s done exceptionally well here at the Open in the past. It’s pretty up in the air, I think. I mean, the women’s probably is a little bit too, but the men’s is hard to call. But let’s go with Djokovic.”

WOODBRIDGE: “Djokovic and Sabalenka are my picks.”

MOLIK: “Novak and Pegula.”

HUNTER: “It’s really tough, which makes it really exciting to watch. I would absolutely love to see Pegula win a Slam. But I’m gonna say Sabalenka. And then on the men’s side, gosh, this is tough. You know what? I’m gonna go with Djokovic. Because I just feel like he’s going to be playing with freedom. He’s gonna swing and go for it.”

REA: “I think Novak’s certainly going to be hard to stop, and on the women’s side, I’m gonna say that Jess Pegula can do it this time.”